1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to grapevine driven updating technique and more particularly, the present invention relates to an updating technique which allows mobile terminals which are in close proximity to each other to update each other with newer versions of data or software that they share.
2. Description of the Background
Presently, the trend has been for mobile terminals to store more and more data and software. This data may include electronic business cards and other information. Software is constantly being updated and corrected when necessary.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,620 to Hansson discloses a method for downloading control software to a cellular telephone. In the method of Hansson, new or updated software must be transmitted individually from an update server processor to each in every cellular telephone requiring software updating.
European Patent Application No. EP 895157 to Maeda discloses a remote maintenance method and apparatus which, in a fashion similar to Hansson, also transmits new or updated software individually in a wired or wireless network.
German Patent No. DE 19741703 discloses loading operating software into a mobile telephone and then transferring software to the telephone via a wireless interface and then temporarily storing software in a first memory area and then loading software in a second area after successful loading.
These earlier disadvantageous systems, among others, made it very difficult to update data and software for mobile terminals in that they had to update each mobile terminal individually. Alternatively, they could broadcast new or updated software to all mobile terminals. However, this requires an enormous amount of wireless resources and in addition, broadcasting such new or updated software will not reach mobile terminals which are out of the service area or turned off.
Another alternative which has been used in the past is to provide a Web site containing software updates or new software for use by mobile terminals. This requires each mobile terminal user to periodically check the Web site to determine if the mobile terminal software requires updating or if new software is to be added. Additionally, the software provider cannot easily determine if all of the mobile terminals needing new software or updated software have received such new or updated software.